Art festival showcases myriad experiences, creative methods

Musical performances serenade the audience at the festival.

The activities at Qatar International Art Festival (QIAF) 2022 continued yesterday, featuring a wide range of artworks at Katara – the Cultural Village. Hundreds of paintings, sculptures, and installations, among other forms of artwork, embody art schools that represent various experiences and creative methods. At buildings 15, 18, and 19 and in surrounding areas, artists are showcasing their creative talent using various methods and expressive patterns, either traditional or modern, or with an innovative vision. Artist Majd Ramadan described the participation of Lebanese artists at QIAF as rich and diverse, saying she was happy with the “international artistic vision of a global creative visual scene reflected by the participation of a group of fine artists from different countries.” An artist participating for the first time at QIAF, Dr Ismat Hariri, expressed happiness saying the event brings together different artistic cultures and opens windows of creativity to spread, and promote her works. Hariri’s paintings have a mix of remarkable spirituality – the elements of the picturesque nature that is famous in Lebanon. She stressed that participation itself gives her a visual richness that highlights her works and transcends aesthetic taste. Another first-time QIAF participant, Zainab Dandash, said she is showcasing many of her paintings that “embody the intimate character and concept of family in harmony and cohesion,” which she noted is missing in this era. Her paintings such as “The Baalbek Lady” uses collage technique embodying the Lebanese civilisation in the Baalbek region, which preserves its oriental heritage and the memory of civilisations. Artist Eva Hashem said her painting “Beirut”, where she used the blue colour for its symbolic connotation that embodies spiritual serenity and intellectual purity, was inspired by the challenging events. She was happy to take part for the third time in the festival. The six-day QIAF 2022, hosted by Katara in co-operation with MAPS International, also features a painting and sculpture exhibition, live painting symposium, fashion shows inspired by the participating artworks, art workshops, panel discussion, cultural evening, and musical performances.